Elliot Page Comes Out as Transgender
Elliot Page, Oscar nominated actor and star of Juno and The Umbrella Academy, took to Instagram on December 1st, 2020 to announce he is transgender. He started off his post saying, “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”
He continued in the post, “I also ask for patience. My joy is real but it’s also fragile. The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence.”
Page brought attention to the discrimination of trans people in his post, “The statistics are staggering. The discrimination toward trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences. In 2020 alone, it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which have been Black and Latinx trans women.”
He also addressed politicians in his post who, “...work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist and to all of those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: you have blood on your hands. You unleash a flurry of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40 percent of trans adults report attempting suicide. Enough is enough.”
Page received overwhelming support all over social media. Page’s wife, Emma Portner, took to Instagram to express her love and support, "I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world. I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot’s existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much."
More celebrities such as Anna Kendrick, Kumail Nanjiani, James Gunn, Miley Cyrus and so many others congratulated and sent their love to Elliot. Kendrick said on Twitter, “Elliot Page’s words here are so beautiful and so eloquent, and he is reminding me that we can all be brave and joyful, even when things are scary. And this year especially, that reminder is such a GIFT. Sending them love/praise/gratitude/well-wishes etc etc etc etc.”
Page, one of the stars of the hit Netflix show The Umbrella Academy will still portray cisgender woman, Vanya Hargreeves. Insiders told Variety that there are currently no plans to change the character’s identity.
